Until Now
by XxScarletxRosexX
Summary: Maka and Soul have left DWMA with an honorable title, leaving them as the most powerful duo to ever graduate. With Soul now a fully developed death scythe, Lord Death assigns a mission where Maka must train a NEW weapon. How will the duo handle it? Will a certain albino be able to muster the guts to speak his mind out before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1: Troublesome News

**Link for DA: **xxscarletxrosexx.

deviantart.

com/art/SE-Until-Now-Ch-1-Troublesome-News-349604159

**(c) Until Now belongs to me****  
****(c) Soul Eater belongs to Atsushi Ōkubo**

**Summary:**

Maka and Soul have left DWMA with an honorable title, leaving them as the most powerful duo to ever graduate. With Soul now a fully developed death scythe, Lord Death assigns a mission where Maka must train a NEW weapon. How will the duo handle the news? Will a certain albino be able to muster the guts to speak his mind out before it's too late?

* * *

"Maka!" someone called from behind.

"Yes?"

A masculine boy of the age of eighteen with disheveled, frosty, spiky hair, and a pair of intimidating yet playful ruby eyes strode lazily to the table and took a seat behind me. "Lord Death called."

I flipped the bacon over the pan as a sign to continue.

"He needs us to stop by his office; said it was urgent."

I stopped fidgeting with the sizzling strip and glanced at him with a short acknowledging glance. "What did you do this time, Soul?" I sighed disapprovingly.

"Hey," he raised his voice defensively, "don't assume I did something wrong when I don't even know what I did."

"That's exactly it," I stated teasingly, "sometimes I wonder if you ever grew up Soul."

"Of course I did," he grinned with that dangerous, charming trade mark smile of his, "a cool guy like me would never pull immature stunts and get caught."

"Only with Black*Star," I muttered aloud.

"So not cool, Maka," he retorted in an annoyed, even tone.

I snorted as I brought the pan over and gently dumped half the contents onto Soul's place followed by mine.

"All joking matters aside," I resumed while he consumed his breakfast, "what do you think he really wants?"

"Don't know," the albino shrugged, "maybe a new mission." He returned to monstrously devour his meal as I stared at mine a bit anxiously. It was a familiar disturbing feeling that urged me to stray away and ignore my curiosity, but of course a former Shibusen Student should always investigate. _Nostalgic… I wonder why._

* * *

The roaring engine of Soul's orange Harley was the only sound that accompanied us to the beautiful, symmetrical Death Weapon Meister Academy. Words were not needed to be exchanged for what awaits us at Lord Death's room. The atmosphere at this very moment was peaceful and calm, yet a little tense—or perhaps that was my imagination.

The action did not pass unnoticed by my weapon. I could feel his weary eyes glance at me like a cobra's strike, but I ignored his gaze and focused ahead.

Within moments, the purring engine died down and we stood at a ridiculous amount of stairs leading up the academy.

Perhaps the moment we reached the top and stood to admire our former school was enough to encourage Soul to speak his mind out, "Hey." I turned to meet his worried burgundy eyes in silence; half of me was standing towards Soul while the other busied itself with nostalgic memories to cover my troubled thoughts. "What's eating at you?" he asked as if it was the most natural thing to say with a cool decency.

My lips parted slightly to voice out my confusion, but I stopped midway as my thoughts were bombarded with chastisement of my self-doubts. _There is nothing to be worried about_, it ultimately came to. I closed my mouth and broke his gaze to stare at the ground with idling interest.

"Nothing," I answered, "let's not keep Lord Death waiting."

With an encouraging smile, we walked towards the building in silence. Unsure of what awaits us.

* * *

"Damn it all," Soul growled once we reached home, "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

"Hey, how about saying something else for a change, Soul? Something less _uncool_," I barked in frustration.

"Well how about you use that big mouth of yours back there, Maka!" he retorted as our gaze locked in a fiery battle.

"And you know very damn well that I can't deny his requests, Soul!" I hissed venomously.

Soul took a step close to me, our faces only centimeters apart. His height made him all the more intimidating. "Oh yeah, because I'm _little miss perfect_ and _DWMA's top class student_," he mocked scornfully. I stood there staring at him speechless, "You can quit being a kiss up, Maka. No one's gonna buy it anyway!"

I felt a burning sensation radiate from my left hand the moment those words left his mouth. Never had I ever slapped Soul in my entire life being with him, it was always a Maka-chop, always impacted on the cranium, but this… it was a new level of low.

Soul's head remained turned away for a couple seconds as we registered my action, but I couldn't take back what I've done. I took a step back from him and hurried off to my bedroom and slammed the door immediately. My breaths came in shallow and ragged as I leaned on my door for support and sunk to the floor. Tears prickled my eyes and ran down my face, leaving behind a burning, hot trail in its wake. Soul couldn't see this. I don't want him to see me at my vulnerable point, especially when he was the cause of it.

My throat burned from holding back wails and cries, but I swallowed the pain and hid them in my silent sobs. I gathered my legs towards me and hugged them to my chest.

I never thought it would come to this.

* * *

"_Scythe Meister Maka Albarn ready for-"_

"_**MAKA! MAKAAA! MAAAA**__-"_

_It was always the same routine every time we came to Lord Death's room. Papa always dashed from the other side of the room screaming my name like a psychopath with mesmerized, goo-goo doll like eyes as he came towards me. As always, I had my handy book ready to smash into his noggin before he could lay a single hand on me. This was the only thing I'm glad to be away from after graduation. Soul shared the same look of disgust as we glanced at one another; seems like I'm not the only one._

"_Hello! Hello! Wazzup? Wazzup? Good to see ya!" Lord Death greeted in his usual friendly, falsetto voice._

"_Lord Death, what do ya need from us?" Soul stated nonchalantly._

"_Soul!" I chastised in a hushed tone. Even after graduation, my partner still couldn't learn a thing or two about respect._

_Soul only shrugged in a bored manner. He had always been straight to the point._

"_Oh yes! I have a new mission for Maka," the thin Shinigami stated._

_Soul and I exchanged disbelief looks. "Uh, don't you mean __**Soul**__ and I?" I corrected._

"_No my dear, it is only you this time," the Shinigami answered._

"_But Soul is my partner," I interjected._

"_For this specific mission, I'm afraid not… even for a while."_

"_Lord Death-"_

"_I apologize, but with Soul as a death scythe, there are still others that are in dire need of your assistance, Maka."_

_My hands formed into fists at my side as I glared at the ground in defiance._

"_Maka's my partner," Soul stated confidently, "she's the only one who can wield me."_

"_Now, now, I know you're upset, Soul, but let's be reasonable. We need to recruit more death scythes as much as possible. We require these death scythes to be assigned a post in case of a future Kishin attack so they'll be able to protect their home from the madness," Lord Death explained._

"_But why Maka? Why not Stein?" Soul argued. If I didn't know my partner any better, I could have brushed off the sound of pain in his tone as a part of my imagination._

"_Stein is already assigned to the same mission. Maka and Stein are the only ones who have obtained flexible souls and can adjust to any weapon of choice." Lord Death turned his attention to me, "Stein had taught you how to control it, yes?" He didn't pause to let me answer and returned his attention to both of us, "You are both our highest and advanced meister and weapon in the district. This is why I have chosen you," Lord Death finished, "I'm sorry it has to be this way."_

_From my peripheral vision, I saw Soul bowed his head in defeat as his hands formed into tight balls beside him. Although I disliked this mission strongly as much as Soul, and even more for the fact that I can't be with him, but I had no choice but to follow orders._

"_I'll do it."_

* * *

_**FIRST FANFICTION OF THE YEAR!**_

**Also this is my first time writing a Soul Eater fanfic(dedicated to SoMa shippers out there!) and I'm uber nervous about how this will turn out. :/**

**In all honesty, I feel horrible and every time I turn back to read this, I think it's just a horrible crap I manifested after reading the manga and Soul Eater Not! manga.**  
**There are some details that refers to either or, but I'm sure it'll work out with the story. I'm still experimenting ya'll!**

**EXPLANATION:**

**In the anime it doesn't show that Maka can wield other weapons besides Soul, but in the manga she does wield Tsubaki during the fight against the Legendary Wolf. From this small detail, I was able to assume that Maka does have a flexible soul like Stein, but it isn't as strong. And also, I believe it's because she has a good bond with Tsubaki (and that she's a girl) that she's able to do so.**  
**And in my story, I decided to say that Stein saw this in Maka and decided to train her, that's why she's on this mission with Stein.**

**Now, Soul won't be useless as he portrays himself on the manga/anime without Maka (which is why I ship them so hard core) though I prefer that, but with Maka outta the picture, I think he'll need some professional help from someone who has experience *ahem*Spirit*ahem***

**^I will mention this somewhat later in the story (if I feel like it). Anyways enjoy!~**


	2. Chapter 2: Sinking In

**Link for DA:** xxscarletxrosexx.

deviantart.

com/#/d5s6cok

**(c) Until Now belongs to me****  
****(c) Soul Eater belongs to Atsushi Ōkubo**

* * *

I rose up from the ground and decided to begin packing. Professor Stein and I will depart tomorrow evening to our designated posts. With a quick swipe at my drenched face, I dug into the closet and pulled out a week's set of clothing, toiletries, and extra pair of shoes followed by shoving them into my duffel bag.

_A while without Soul?_ I thought aimlessly as I zipped the bag. _I never thought it'd come to this._

I turned to my window and saw pictures of us with the gang. Beside it was a picture of Soul and I at the sick bay when I fallen victim to Arachne's paralysis webs. I was making an embarrassed face as Soul spoon fed me the meal. He had a small grin on his lips, as if my uncomfortable state pleased him. _I knew he was a sadist_.

But still… I'll miss Soul.

With one final glance at the picture, I closed my room and decided to make dinner to make up for what I did. This is, after all, our last dinner together for a while.

I opened the fridge to check if there was any meal suitable for the occasion. Disappointed with the left over, I headed out to buy groceries without informing Soul. Although we're not on good terms at the moment, I chose not to tell him for this is a surprise as well. Just in case, I left a note on the counter informing him of my errand.

Tonight, I'm going to make spaghetti and a side order of garlic bread. It's the first time I'm making this, but I heard it's the simplest meal to make.

I searched for the ingredients jotted down on my small list and purchased them with gusto. The walk home was pleasant, but also unpleasant as my mind wandered about Soul and his well-being in my absence. _Would he still be the same guy I left him to be? Will he be different? Will he replace me as I find someone else?_ The thoughts perturbed my mind incessantly, especially the latter. Sure I trust Black*Star, Kid, and Crona, but with Soul, it's a different level of trust. I couldn't possibly trust another guy, except Soul, with my life. But on a reasonable view, I can't be sure that my partner won't be a boy. I wouldn't have a choice but to accept him or fail this mission and bring shame upon myself. The degrading title, though it was of great importance to me once upon a time, doesn't affect me as it used to, and I had grown to acknowledge that it wasn't the title that saddened me, but losing the only man who transformed me to be a better and stronger meister. My palms moistened all the more I spent time with this thought and the insides of my chest suddenly dropped to my stomach as if I was experiencing free falling once more. It wasn't exactly painful, but it felt like a heavy burden with every step I took.

_Get a hold of yourself!_ I reprimanded myself and froze in place. I wasn't even conscious of my slow pace until I fell into a complete stop. I took this opportunity to observe where my feet led me: the fountain. It was the same place I had stopped to catch breaths after Crona's disappearance. It was also when Soul went out of his way to assist me. I realized by just standing here, that there will be no Soul who will save me when I need him in the future. A tear made its way down my cheek unconsciously, and I brushed it aside with my yellow sleeve. I guess I needed Soul more than ever.

* * *

Before I knew it, I was unlocking the door to my apartment with a poker face masking my true emotions. I was surprised to be greeted by an alarmed Soul standing behind it. His right cheek still appeared flushed from our earlier argument and I couldn't help but turn away.

"Sou-" A pair of strong arms cut me off from apologizing as they brought me close to the owner's warm, toned chest.

"Idiot, don't go shopping by yourself!" he hissed in a worried manner, "Don't you know that it's not safe to walk around at this hour without a weapon?" I just stood there holding onto the plastic bags as he held me close to him. It astonished me that there was this kind of Soul that I had never seen before.

"How long have I been out?" I didn't even know I was gone for more than an hour.

"It's quarter to eight." The answer snapped me back to reality like a sharp knife.

"No way! I was out for two hours?!" I exclaimed. Regretfully, Soul pulled out of the hug so he could give me space. "I need to start cooking!" I walked around him and headed straight to the kitchen and started on dinner.

"What's for dinner?" he asked nonchalantly. It was as if the fight never happened.

"You'll see." Soul took the answer half-heartedly and returned to his room to take his usual nocturnal showers.

With my orange apron on, I set the noodles in the pot of water, another pot for the meatballs—that didn't spoil luckily—and sauce, and a pan for the garlic bread. It seems like multitasking was the only way to finish the meal in an hour's time. Lastly, homemade desert from scratch—thank goodness Tsubaki is a great cook!

After an hour and a half's laborious work, I had completed every task and left the cake to cool down in the fridge. Everything was set to perfection, right to the napkins set underneath the eating utensils.

"Wow." I turned around to a refreshed roommate. From the pained look in his eyes, I knew he wanted to say something but the fight only reminded us of my departure.

"If you keep standing there, the food will run cold," I encouraged.

Soul smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He took a seat vertically to me and ate slowly, perking my interest. He was not one to savor my meal. I guess the whole news really bothered him. I mean the news is barely sinking in to me too.

"Maka?" His voiced dragged me from the depressing subject.

"Yeah?"

"The food is really good," he smiled tenderly.

"It's not like you to compliment, Soul. You usually that you could cook better than I could or that I should take extra cooking lessons," I stated indifferently.

"Maybe the first couple of times," Soul admitted in between bites and swirling the noodles, "but your cooking is great." He paused to bite off the next ball of noodles. "I thought I should let you know this time."

"What's wrong with you? Are you sick?" I stood out of my seat and approached him. With a flick of my wrist, his bangs were brushed upwards and I leaned towards him so I could measure our heat via forehead. He was warm, but normal. "You feel normal," I stated, our foreheads still connected. "Or did my slap really mess you up that bad?" I opened my eyes to question further, but he avoided my gaze by staring at a random object on the table.

"That's because I'm not. It's just that I never tried before," Soul finally answered as he pulled away from me. "Besides, it takes more than just a smack to screw up a cool guy like me."

"Soul are you-" I stared at him, flattered.

"Don't get full of yourself, Maka. Now hurry up and finish your meal."

Without anything left to say, I returned to my seat and began to eat. I was taken aback by Soul's change of personality. There were suddenly new things; a softer, gentler side of him that I've never seen before and frankly, I'm happy that I get to see this side of him.

"There's dessert in the fridge if you're up for it," I grinned challengingly. He returned it with his trade mark grin.

"Always up for anything," he responded as he headed to the fridge and pulled out the confectionary and set it on the table. It was a small, round, white cake with confection sprinkles at the bottom and five upside down strawberries divided by white cream waves at the top.

I was finishing my last two bites when I noticed his curious gaze. "You made this too?" I nodded. "I can't believe you sometimes, Maka."

"Well it is in front of you," I snorted, "I should thank Tsubaki for the recipe before I—well take a piece." Thank goodness I caught myself on time. There is no need for us to remember the sad news. "Ya know, Soul…" Soul was cutting the first piece before he brought his attention back to me. For just a short moment, I just wanted to drink in the sight before me, to burn every feature of Soul into my memory. From his unusual spiky white hair to his uncharacteristic soft eyes at this moment—in contrast with his usual heated, brooding pairs—to his sharp, shark like teeth. Unconsciously, my left hand reached across the small table to hold the cheek I had strike hours ago. Most importantly, I wanted to remember the feel of his flawless, warm, tan skin against mine. Soul just stood staring back at me with confusion and wonder etched in his ruby eyes for a couple seconds, before bringing his right hand on top of mine and entwining his fingers through the gaps. "I'm sorry."

"I deserved it, Maka," Soul admitted sheepishly, his _cool_ demeanor temporarily forgotten, "I went out of line there."

"I should get ice for that."

"No, it's cool. I'll get it later," he interrupted before I could get out of my seat. Although it was a little bit uncomfortable, we remained holding hands over his cheek for another moment as Soul took his first bite on my experimented dessert.

"Maka." I felt his thumb softly graze my hand in a gentle manner. I didn't notice our hands were interlaced in a proper, comfortable manner on the table until now.

"Hmm?" I turned to meet an intense, warm gaze that sent chills down my spine.

"Thank you for a good meal. I'll wash the dishes tonight."

I blinked a couple times before registering the action, "Thank you." His voice held an unnatural amount of silk in them as he said those words, leaving me breathless as the aftermath. Why was Soul acting so undeniably gentlemanly? Why haven't I seen this side of him before? I left the questions untouched as we began to eat the cake.

* * *

"Rest up well tonight, we've got a lot of things to do in the morning."

"What's going on tomorrow?" I inquired.

"I thought we'd go somewhere together… so I can make up for what I said."

"Don't worry about it, Soul. It's not like it's the first time we fought," I stated, though the offer was rather enticing and strange coming from him.

He didn't reply and only stared into my eyes for a moment, as if they were probing for something. A second later, his eyes closed and he turned away from me and shrugged. "Just get some sleep, Maka. Good night." Then he walked to his bedroom, leaving me on the couch to stare at the dark walls.

I'd be lying to myself if I drifted into blissful seep at this very moment, because that wasn't the type of person I was. I'm the type to worry about my partner and his isolation after my departure. I'm the type to stay up late and ponder about my worries, doubts, or simply memorizing every detail of my home until it is surged into my memory like a hot iron.

Well let's face it. Never had it once occurred to me that I would ever leave this place. I always believed that there was no one else for me but Soul, starting with a simple handshake. He was the only person I entrusted with my life, my entire being. We were to be destined to be partners, or at least that's what I believed in with that insignificant gesture. But now, that pact is done, exhausted as he had transformed into a full fledge death scythe. But what was my purpose now? It seems like my purpose is to create more death scythes.

Although I know and believe that this is not Lord Death's view of meisters, but sometimes I think I'm more of a tool to help weapons and that is solely my only purpose for existing.

_I wonder if this is what Soul had felt as a weapon…_

* * *

**This is it for the night! I'll be working on my online US history class for the rest of the night and if I have time, maybe I'll go for #3! xD**

**This took far longer to post-I'm sorry-because this was not the original text I wrote down on paper. I spontaneously thought of the scene where Maka headed whilst being occupied with negative thoughts. And all these fluffy feelings just jumped in to what I originally wrote out.**

**Seriously, if you read my original writing, there was like only one fluffy moment and that was the "thank you" part.**

**So I thought maybe I should add some more fluffy parts, and besides, Maka is clueless when it comes to love. She is innocent and inexperienced after all. (I know she can tell when someone courts her and all, but it's just different with Soul. So these feelings are new to her! Don't judge me! I went through the same thing! OTL)**

***ahem* Anyways I hope you enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Surprising Side

**Link for DA:** xxscarletxrosexx.

deviantart.

com/art/SE-Until-Now-Ch-3-A-New-Side-of-Feelings-353678393

**(c) Until Now belongs to me****  
****(c) Soul Eater belongs to Atsushi Ōkubo**

* * *

The ray's warm beams danced upon my closed eyes, stirring me from a pleasant, relaxing slumber before pausing—something didn't feel just right. A blanket hugged my shoulders and the couch suddenly felt less springy and more comfortable. When I blinked my eyes open, I found myself back on my bed. _I recall falling asleep on the couch_, I thought, i_t must had been Soul who put me back to bed_. This trait of Soul's had always been what I liked best of him because of its rarity and how uncharacteristic it appears to be a part of him.

With a small smile on my lips, I walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast when I found a note sticking on the counter.

_**Maka**_**,**

_**Don't cook breakfast. We'll go out and eat.**_

_**-Soul**_

It surprised that there was this side of Soul as well. He was never the type to plan something out and act on it. Usually he always acted with a passive motivation and turned to me for plans. He'd agree with anything just as long as there's food involved. Perhaps I'm just over thinking like I usually do… but still I don't get why this over thinking is making me feel…happy.

I abandoned the thought with a frustrated sigh before taking a quick shower. Afterwards, I finished packing my duffel bag for the evening's adventure. Throughout the task, I was left with two manifested clips playing in my mind like a broken record of never seeing my partner again. One had been one of the clowns who were controlled by the madness. It was only once upon a time ago, he had purged into my heart and mind, convincing me of my loneliness due to my vulnerability to protect the ones I love. I would have given into the madness to free myself from these thoughts, but Soul had been there to save me. In this thought, Soul wasn't there. Instead it was me—my seventeen year old form, comforting my thirteen year old self. I was now a grown woman, but one thing barely changed and that was my body development. I did grow breasts, and they have been becoming a little noticeable when I'm not wearing my uniform or sweater. I also have my own natural curve; yet again it wasn't very noticeable. No matter how much I age, it seems almost impossible that I will ever get myself an attractive, eye-catching body. But one thing for sure, the look in my eyes as a seventeen year old had a burning passion inside of them. There was purity, determination, courage, and confidence. These were the traits my thirteen year old lacked the most. In comparison, my thirteen year old form looked weak, lanky, and unsure. Although I'm in this confident body now, it appears that my mind is still that thirteen year old girl, and only I could comfort these harbored thoughts. I don't need anyone to see this needy side of me, especially not that stupid clown.

"You ready?" the words pulled me out of my train of thought. I had not noticed Soul coming into my room and standing before me.

"Ah, yeah… I just finished packing too," I stated while diverting my attention to the bag by the door. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he grinned with a pair of playful gleam in his eyes. He turned his back to me with a small click of his tongue. He headed out to start his motorcycle while I took my duffel bag and set it on the couch, the spot where I had supposedly fallen asleep last night.

Blair approached me in her innocent kitten form with eyes as big as saucers. She had tears trailing down her cheeks as she took note of my bag.

"Maka… don't tell me you're leaving us. I mean it was one fight," Blair whined softly in her innocent, soprano voice.

"I'm not leaving forever, Blaire," I reassured with a sad smile, "just for a bit."

"And when will you come back?" she piped.

"I don't know," I replied honestly," but I'm sure that I'll be back soon."

Blaire remained silent as her tearful eyes bore into mine intensely for a moment before looking at the ground with a soft, "Okay…"

"Hey Blaire?"

The small kitten's ears perked to her name before looking up, "Yeah?"

"Take care of Soul for me, okay? Don't let him do anything reckless."

With a small, tearful smile, she bowed her head forward then back up. Then with a more enthusiastic tone she replied, "Mhmm! You can count on me, nyah!"

"Thanks, Blaire. Good luck at work."

"Good luck on your mission, Maka. I hope to see you someday."

"Yeah," I replied as I opened the door. Once I was on the other side, with the door closed behind me, I quietly whispered in a controlled, gentle voice, "I'll see you soon."

* * *

"We're here, Maka," Soul announced.

"Death bucks café?" I queried.

Soul chuckled as he offered his hand to me. I took it gratefully. "It's been a while since we came here, hasn't it?"

"I'll never forget the time we worked here," I chuckled, "I must admit the clothes are a bit too much, but they do look cute."

"Huh," Soul snorted, "maybe for old geezers like your dad. _Cool_ guys like me are all about-"

"Women with no clothing like Blaire."

"Exactly," Soul stated triumphantly, "Women with no—the hell Maka!" Soul growled flustered. "That's not what I was going to say."

"Uh-huh, whatever you say, Soul." I rolled my eyes as I strode ahead of him. "And on another note, didn't you say _cool_ men don't blush."

I chuckled to myself when I saw Soul thrust his hands in his pockets and hunched forward tumultuously. I do admit that I enjoy teasing him once in a while.

We took our seat beside the windows and were quickly greeted upon by a fellow Shibusen student. _A newbie_, I assumed by the way she looks so nervous and timid. She appeared dazed and disoriented when she neared us, as if she was approaching a pair of idols. It wasn't much of a surprise anyways; we did graduate with a big reputation from DWMA.

"You-you're Maka Albarn," she squeaked excitedly. "Oh, it's such an honor to serve you!" She paused to cover her lips with her brown, circular serving pan as her face flushed red with embarrassment. "I apologize for my behavior!" she stated with a hasty, flustered bow before returning her gaze to us. "What can I get you today?"

I nodded to her former question, a small smile of amusement tugging on my lips followed by a quick glance at the menu. "I guess I'll have the house special and a cup of coffee."

"Make that two," Soul added. He didn't even glance at the menu.

"I'll be back shortly," our muddled waitress replied. With the menus tucked underneath her arm and the pan, she strode away in a hurried manner.

I couldn't hold it in anymore, and a small giggle escaped my lips. Soul shared an amused chuckle as well. I recalled our memories in this place, especially when we worked here for the first time.

"Nostalgic, isn't it?" Soul answered my thoughts.

I chuckled, "It is. She reminds me of the first time we worked here. Of course, I wasn't that flustered."

Soul smirked, "Really? If I recall, you had two left feet."

"Quit being a poor sport, Soul. I wasn't that bad."

"At least it made a good excuse to be near you…"

"What?"

"Sorry for the wait!" our waitress returned with the drinks, "your meals will be here shortly!"

"Thank you," I replied as she skipped away. But her intrusion did not waiver my curiosity. "What did you say, Soul?"

"Nothing," he waved off, "you're hearing things."

I wanted to probe further about the comment, but I knew it would stir another meaningless argument. Besides, if Soul wanted to tell me, then he would.

"I wonder how the others are doing," I changed the subject.

"Black*Star's probably training hard as usual with Tsubaki and Kid's been busy working hard to be the next Grim Reaper."

"They certainly grew up," I commented, "it seems like yesterday Black*Star destroyed a piece of DWMA to piss Kid off."

"That did happen yesterday, Maka," Soul snickered, "Black*Star thought he was more than ready to beat Kid, that he destroyed one of the horns. Kid was there as the audience, of course."

"Eh?!" I yelped with revelation, "How come I wasn't informed of this?!"I complained.

"You were brooding in your room after our argument. I went on a walk and came across the fight just in time."

"And?"

"Kid won as always," he snorted, "Kid's gotta keep his title."

"That made sense," I laughed.

"Although…" I listened to Soul intently, "Black*Star and he are on the same exact level nowadays."

I was amazed to hear such news. It's surprising to hear that Black*Star had already risen to such amount of power over the years. The obvious, huge gap that separated the two on the day they met had been sealed from existence. They were formidable foes. "That would've been an interesting fight to watch," I mused, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll miss those two and their stupid fights."

"Here is your order," the waitress returned with our breakfast, "if there is anything else you need, please don't hesitate to tell me." With a quick, sweet smile, the waitress left.

"You know, not once did she ever notice my presence," Soul commented nonchalantly.

"That is strange," I noted, "don't they always talk to you first?"

Soul shrugged, "I'm too cool to talk to them anyways." He returned to focus eating his breakfast like a starving dog; his normal reaction towards food.

"Enjoying that food a little too much, Soul?" I inquired.

"N'm, bery! O'ts 'nomph tah fill m' st'm'ke," Soul replied.

"Don't talk with your mouth full! That's so _uncool_," I winced in a joking manner.

He swallowed the food like it was water, "I'm _cooler_ than a certain bookworm I know."

I had to smile at that remark, it was, after all, the last time he'd tease me in a while.

Just as Soul had stated, the food was delicious, but my mind was too preoccupied with my curiosity revolving around my _new_ partner. _Will they be kinder than Soul? More gentle? But what if he was like Papa? Will he betray me like he did with Mom?_

"Hey, this isn't an eating contest, Maka," Soul stated aloud.

"Huh?"

"Are you really that hungry?" Soul chuckled. Then he paused to stare at me for a second, "There's something…" his hands reached towards me. "…on your…" his thumb gently grazed my bottom lip. "…lip."

Soul's eyes held that same unnatural, uncharacteristic amount of interest with his eyes fixated between my lips and eyes. Then, the same unfathomable feelings overwhelmed me from dinner. It was as if I was a frozen deer caught by a blinding white light. I couldn't look away from Soul's hypnotizing ruby orbs. The more I stared into them, the deeper I was sucked in.

Soul's impulsive retraction brought us back to reality. But my mind was still registering these foreign emotions. I could only remain silent and dazed as Soul avoided my eyes; his frosty bangs shielded them from view. He muttered something, but all I could here were incoherent whispers as they left his lips.

"…go?" I stared at him, my mind at its climax of registration. "Are you done, Maka?" Soul rephrased. I remained frozen for another second, before I regained control of my body. My head slowly bobbed up and down to answer his question. Soul turned away to call out to our waitress, asking for the bill.

"Why don't we go to one more place?" Soul suggested.

"What… where do you have in mind?" I asked whilst maintaining composure. The waitress returned with a small black tray with the receipt. Soul pulled out his wallet and left a twenty dollar bill; suffice for both meal and tip.

"The park," he stated.

"Thank you for your patronage," our waitress thanked with a small, cute bow. Then an epiphany hit me. I knew this girl.

"Thank you. Good luck at DWMA, Tsugumi," I smiled.

Tsugumi Halberd grinned back with a bright, shining glow in her eyes. I knew there was something all too familiar with her raven hair, fair skin, and onyx eyes.

"Heh, finally figured it out, eh?" Soul smirked. "What gave it away?"

"Her personality is up-beat as ever. You?"

"The way she looked at you."

I chuckled. That girl sure is something, it's a shame I won't get to see her improve in her last year.

"So, to the park?" Soul grinned as he handed me my helmet. He twisted the key and the engine roared to life.

"Yup."

* * *

"How long has it been since we last came here to practice witch hunter, Soul?"

"Heh, how should I know?" Soul grinned to himself with closed eyes. I had a strong feeling that he was recalling the same memories I was having.

"How many times had I attempted?"

"How many trees did you destroy?" he joked. He laughed at my irritated glare and tousled my hair in a rough manner.

"That's mean, Soul," I complained. I gave him my best pouting face, where one side of my cheek was filled with air.

"Well, who's the one who wanted to be stronger as soon as possible?" he countered. I frowned at the question, my playful face depleted. "You are strong, Maka," he stated softly.

"But we are invincible together," I added, "I learned that." His face became a reflection of my latter response.

We were quiet for several moments, allowing nature to speak in our stead while we shared emotions through eye contact. I couldn't bear to trust anyone else besides Soul as my partner; it was obvious that he felt the same way. The intimidating glimmer in his eyes were softer than ever, even softer than last night's dinner. They looked so heartbreakingly sad, like an abandoned, crying puppy. I couldn't bear just staring at him, knowing that I wouldn't be able to reach for him in comfort when I needed to. As if on impulse, my hand reached for his and entwined through them. He questioned my motive with his ruby eyes, but I left my eyes to answer them. I don't want to cry in front of him. I had vowed to myself never to cry for men, but was this also applicable to Soul?

"Stay like this for a little while…" I muttered tenderly, "just a little while longer." I couldn't look at him after the words were out. These were my vulnerable thoughts, words that were never to be uttered. I hated being viewed as a helpless human child with a dysfunctional family nor, did I want to be seen as a vulnerable child who suffered emptiness on a daily basis.

Then I felt Soul's fingers close on mine and began to walk ahead, dragging me behind him. I never acknowledged Soul's broad shoulders until now. They weren't exactly bulky and muscular like Black*Star's nor too lanky. It was more in between, an average athletic build. How many times had I been bestowed the opportunity to lean on those strong shoulders after countless battles? How had I not felt different when I was brought closer to Soul…? Closer to his face…? His lips…?

_It was the same thoughts again_. These mysterious, stomach dropping explosions within my core had returned with these thoughts like a packaged deal. Every time I took notice of Soul, these feelings appeared. But why? What was its purpose? Why is he the only one who makes me feel this way?

I peeked at Soul's back once again. He appears undisturbed and focused at the path ahead to notice my inner confliction. Then his hand pulsed for a second before securely gripping my hand tighter. Suddenly my legs gave and I'm falling forward, free falling if you will, the motion finally matched my stomach dropping emotion. But I fell on something warm and soft. There was skin to skin contact, and two strong vines restricted me from escaping behind. It took me a minute to register the fact that Soul had dragged me down and I was now lying on top of him.

He held me close to him like a mother would hold a child. His arms were pinning me to him, securely but breathable. Soul remained quiet for another several minutes before I could finally murmur his name.

"S-Soul?" There was movement in one of my pigtails as a reply. "You'll be okay, right? You are a _cool_ guy after all." Still no response. "And _cool_ guys can survive on their own." I felt his cheeks form a smirk.

"Yeah," he sighed in a soft whisper.

"Hey, promise me one thing." My hands moved to his chest and I used them as leverage to meet lock our eyes. His arms loosened slightly, but kept their hold from behind.

"What?"

I stared into his eyes a little more intense than I should have for Soul's face changed into a bright red color and his breathing picked up. I decided to experiment by doing what he did to me back at the café. I gazed into his eyes then to his lips and back to his eyes. The pattern continued until I felt Soul's warm breath escape his lips. His eyes appeared glazed, darker than their usual gleaming scarlet. The look in his eyes made my heart pump faster and my breath came in short gasps, matching his own like a musical creation. Then his lips rubbed against mine as if they were testing an uncharted territory. Each brush, each touch sent an electric wave down my spine. The feeling reminded me of our soul resonance, but in a more pleasant way; it both a thrilling and frightening feeling.

With one slip, my forehead rocked forward and collided against his rather than our lips. _Well, that's one way to knock some common sense back into our heads._

"Ow," he whined in an annoyed tone, though his flustered face told a different story. He lifted one eye to glare at me while the other remained closed, wincing from the pain.

I wanted to apologize to him for my actions… for my innocent experiment that had gone out of control. But instead I stated in the bluntest tone as possible, "You've been acting weird, Soul."

"And you're not?" he replied a little too rough.

I sighed softly, the atmosphere was changing fast. Perhaps I should have thought my words more carefully. Then in my most conjured kind, honest voice I said, "I didn't mean that…" The irritated expression in his eyes halted. "I meant to say… I'll miss you…"

Within seconds, the same emotions seconds ago returned in his eyes. "And I you."

He returned his head upwards and brought his lips over my forehead and kissed it softly. I searched for the same soft lips I had brushed against moments ago, but all I felt was a burning, hot iron against my forehead as the words echoed through my mind.

"And I you…"

* * *

**Wahh! I'm so sorry for posting this like a month later! I've been busy with school, fighting flus, and parties! Ahaha ^^;**  
**I can only make it up to you guys with this super fluffy chapter while I'm working on the final one! Then the Epilogue.**

**I'm rushing to finish this story as soon as possible so I will be able to make it on time for my Valentine's one shot special for the SoulxMakaClub contest! :D**  
**I promise you that I'll try to make it unique and nothing you have ever read before! **

**But for now, please enjoy this story!~**  
**It's 3:50am over here and I'll be waking up in the next 3-4 hours just to get ready for my morning choir rehearsal (competition is this Saturday for me! ;A;)**

**I'll be back to write the next chapter hopefully sometime I come back after practice!**


	4. Chapter 4: Acceptance

**Link for DA:** xxscarletxrosexx.

deviantart.

com/art/SE-Until-Now-Ch-4-Acceptance-357213752

**(c) Until Now belongs to me****  
****(c) Soul Eater belongs to Atsushi Ōkubo**

* * *

I could still feel Soul's delicious warmth as we rode away to our apartment in comfortable silence. I went up to get my duffel bag and safely tucked it behind me before heading towards the airport.

Soul parked his bike to the nearest elevator and took my hand in his. We rode the elevator in silence, our hands locked in a frozen state. I stared at our reflection from the sliding doors with great interest. We looked like the ideal pairing of a _man_ and _woman_ rather than a weapon and meister. I've never considered Soul as just a weapon nor _just that friend_. He means a lot to me, but the reason for that entitlement still remains unknown to me, he was just _important_.

The elevator rang, announcing our arrival in a droning manner before opening the doors into the cool night. We walked out, hands still intact, towards the pedestrian cross walks. I was surprised to see the congested street on this night. It was unusual to see a huge amount of people during a week night.

"Lively as ever, huh?" Soul commented.

I glanced at him with a dazed manner for only a fraction of a second, before looking away. "Mm."

"So which plane are you riding?" he asked once we entered the airport entrance.

"I'm not sure. He just said that Professor Stein will meet me at the departure point."

Soul glanced at the watch on his free hand with indifference then returned to its idling state. "Well, we have half an hour to kill until then, what do you want to do?"

"Hmm…" I hummed, "well I should check in first. Then let's look around the gift shop."

Soul shrugged, "Fine with me." His eyes wandered away from mine and remained glued to a certain direction.

"Hey, what's up Soul?"

A half grin formed on Soul's lips as he returned his gaze to me. "I wonder why there would be a photo booth at a place like this."

"Eh?"

Sure enough, there was a mini photo booth standing by the gift shop entrance. It had a ridiculous amount of flashy, cute animals with bubbles, hearts, and sparkles surrounding them.

"Well what do you know; there is one here after all. Soul, let's take a picture together!"

"Tch, so you're that kind of girl too," Soul clucked.

"What's that suppose to mean?" my cheeks puffed out, pouting at his comment. "I just want to take a picture with you, that's all."

Soul stared into my eyes with half closed, indifference etched on his face. "I guess it can't be helped," the albino shrugged. He reached into his pocket and fished out a couple dollar bills. "What are you gawking at? I thought you wanted to get a picture, tiny tits."

It took every ounce of my will power to resist pulling out a book from my duffel bag and smashing him senseless. In the end, I was successful. With an exasperated sigh of frustration, I squeezed Soul's hand tightly and dragged him in the booth, refusing to look at his eyes.

The argument was quickly forgotten when we entered the small booth. Soul wriggled his hand from mine and fed the machine his money. Almost immediately, an annoying, squeaky soprano voice greeted us along with instructions and selections.

"Please select a background you desire."

"Wow, they have everything," I awed.

"They all look the same to me," Soul commented, "hurry up and choose one."

"I can't choose… they're all cute."

"Fine, then we'll let faith decide," he responded. Without further questioning, he took my right hand and set it over the down arrow, his remained on top. For a brief moment, Soul appeared highly concentrated as thirty backgrounds raced across the screen at a blinding speed. He waited for several more seconds before slamming his hand on the _select_ button.

"Thank you!" the woman's voice replied, "Now you'll be taking five photos for this special background you have selected. You'll be given five seconds per shot, so make sure you have those pearly whites ready! We'll begin now! Make sure you're within-" the voice droned on and on for another couple seconds. Meanwhile, Soul and I planned our second pose.

"Smile!" the robotic voice stated and we obliged. In five seconds, we made another face, one with immature spontaneity. I giggled softly from a short view of the picture. Another five seconds, Soul and I attacked each other's faces with our hands and fingers. Soul and I laughed as we stared at the preview. We were too caught up with laughing that we had forgotten about the fourth shot. I opened my eyes stop get ready for the next one when I finally noticed Soul's and my close proximity. Our foreheads were connected, eyes leveled, and nose barely touching. The air in my lungs stopped working as if there was something blocking my throat from further function. I could feel Soul's warm breath softly caress my cheeks with gentle care, like they were his very own fingers. My mind fell disoriented with overwhelming questions revolving around our current state. _Why couldn't I just pull away_? I wondered.

I heard the familiar soprano voice count down from an inaudible, deafening distance, but I was too conscious of the crescendo of my beating heart. It seemed like hours before Soul finally moved. His face was no longer leveled with mine, but replaced with his neck. _Flash!_

"Thank you for your patronage! Your pictures are now ready!" the robot's voice echoed through my dazed sate. Soul was the first to leave the booth while I scrambled to keep my composure. I stared at Soul's back through the thin fabric, wondering what the hell just happened.

"Looks like there's one for both of us," he muttered.

"Oh? That's great! At least we won't have to cut them apart." I made my way out of the curtain with shuddering fingers. I was thankful that Soul's back was still facing me.

There was a moment of silence, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head. Before I could mutter my concern, he spoke.

"Maybe it's best that we get another one instead," Soul suggested.

"What? Come on, Soul, they can't be too bad."

I walked in front of Soul and was greeted with an unusual sight. Soul was covering his mouth with one of his long, slender fingers. His eyes were transfixed at the picture at hand, and his face was painted as red as his pupils. He appeared frazzled and perplexed in contrast to his usual cool composure. It simply amazed me that he would show such an expression. It made me curious about the picture all the more.

"What's wrong with them? Let me see."

Soul pulled the strips away. "I'm telling ya, they're not good."

"I don't care! I wanna see." I took the card away form him and carefully scanned the images.

The first picture was us smiling at the machine's command. Soul was actually smiling that that rare, infamous, heart throbbing half grin of his while I smiled like an innocent school girl.

The second picture was our silly faces. I was smiling like a buzzed drinker with a psychopathic smile. There was something about that face that reminded me of my state under the black blood. Soul, on the other hand, had a dazed, serious expression, in his eyes while his lips parted to reveal his sharp shark-like teeth. It was as if he was saying something in an over exaggerated manner.

The third was us probing at each other's face. Soul had one arm draped over my shoulder while the other pulled at my cheek, stretching it towards him. I had an annoyed, wincing expression on my face, but I returned the favor by pulling on both of his cheeks. Soul had a bored expression on his face while drool formed at the side of his lips. He was used to this kind of torture on a daily basis. While me, in contrast, not so much.

The fourth was a candid shot of us laughing. Soul and I had our eyes closed as we faced one another. A smile formed on my lips as I stared at Soul's reaction. He looked like he was truly enjoying himself—a very rare sight to see when we were together. I grew to like this picture just because of that reason alone.

The last one had deflated my smile for it was the moment where my heart had stopped. It was undeniable that I had a flustered composure. My face was bright red, dazed, and locked in place. Soul had positioned his head higher than mine. His left hand pushed a stray of bangs to his left, away from the camera, followed by kissing my forehead. It was a gentle, heart warming picture. This was a side of Soul no one has ever seen before, and now it is captured in this tangible piece of paper.

One thing that surprised me while scanning the photo from top to bottom was the gradual decreasing space between us as each shot progressed. It started off with at least ten inches, and ended with a gentle kiss.

I wasn't sure how to comment about the strip but I honestly didn't think that they were bad at all. I tried to keep my composure, but of course the increasing warmth on my face betrayed it.

"It's good," I shook off, "this will do." I tore the paper at the divided point, flipped it, and dug my duffel bag for a pen.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Writing the date so we can look back at it someday," I stated nonchalantly.

Soul chuckled quietly as I glared at him. Strangely, his gruff voice served as a soothing relief in this awkward state. "You never change, Maka."

"Heh," my disapproving scowl quickly transformed into an approving grin. As soon as I finished, I handed him his strip. He took my hand in his while he our picture. I had safely placed mine in my duffel bag along with the pen before continuing our mini adventure within the gift shop.

* * *

**Attention: flight 463 is now boarding passengers. Please make your way to West Gate 16 immediately. I repeat attention…**

I glanced at my ticket at hand, reading the bolded letters at the front: **Flight 463**.

"It's time I should go," I stated depressed.

"Yeah, let's go," Soul replied. He released my entwined hand only to wrap it around my waist. A complaint built itself in my throat and I was ready to hit Soul for _planning something_ with this action. But right now, this arm was supporting my weak, wobbling legs from collapsing.

I wasn't nervous because of our good byes, no, I was nervous about the behavior I was going to display at that moment. I don't know how to handle this.

Instead of focusing about my reaction, I wrapped my mind around the early day's event. Before we headed out to Death Buck Café, Soul left the mail on the coffee table as usual. I was happy to see Mom's usual post card within the pile. I was always excited whenever I received a post card from Mom—it always made my days. Today's letter, however, was unusual and confusing. Mom had always been the type to say things in a straight forward manner in her letter, but today she told me a life lesson relevant to her travels. I understand her message, but I couldn't find its importance.

I had brushed the thoughts, the letter itself, aside up until now. Mom's letter sat at the top of my clothes within my bag, mocking me for my inability to comprehend the connection.

"We're here," Soul stated. He looked at me with a concerned expression before lifting a brow. "Is something eating at you again?" I glanced at the ground. He didn't need an answer. "What is it?"

"Can you hand me my bag?"

Soul questioned my motive, but handed me my bag anyway. I unzipped the bag and fished out a post card from Holland.

"Oh yeah, your mom's letter came in today," Soul recalled, "but don't you always wear that goofy grin of yours when you read her letters?"

I glared at him, but decided to brush the chastising aside. "I do, but there's something odd in her letter today." I flipped the post card over. "She's always straight forward in her message, so it's surprising to read an analogy in her letter."

"What does it say?" Soul asked, interested.

"She wrote about her well being and travel at Holland, and then she said: _The world holds beauty in every place you travel, but beauty is also deceiving. One day you'll find a place that will stand out the most to you, and you will take that risk to remain there. I hope you'll find that place someday. Don't be a wanderer forever. _So what do you think?"

"Well, it does sound like an analogy to something," Soul began, "that or she wants to live in Holland."

"I doubt it," I disagreed, "Mom loves to travel a lot. She wouldn't stay in one place for too long."

"Then let's beak it down a bit—we have time right?"

"Yeah. Professor Stein is supposed to pick me up from here, but I think he's running late."

"Okay so… _the world holds beauty in every place you travel, but beauty is deceiving_. Doesn't that remind you of _madness_?"

"How is _madness_ involved in this?" I questioned.

"Remember when we were younger, Maka? That time with the clown?"

It dawned on me, "Oh! Are you saying that it's like that analogy you made with madness in music?"

"Precisely. She' saying something about taking risks-"

"—because everything in the world has madness." Soul nodded approvingly. "Then on the next line she says that I will find something that I will risk myself for. But I've been risking my life since the day I attended the academy."

"I think it's more than that," Soul commented, "I'm sure she's aware of our situation, so this should be a little more personal to you."

"A little more personal…" I repeated. I read the post card again and again, fitting in our paraphrased meaning as a substitute. _Risk… personal… place… happiness…_ "Tell me, Soul," I began. The meaning was already at the tip of my tongue, but I wanted to confirm my answer with this simple question—the final piece of the puzzle.

"You got it?"

"Almost," I replied, "but tell me, a wanderer is a person who travels place to place without a destination in mind, right?"

"That's it, but what does that have to do with it?"

I stared at him, allowing the silence to let it sink in to him. His eyes widened with realization then met mine with understanding.

"The letter has to deal with your mom," Soul stated, "about her past experience."

That was it. That was the final piece and it all became clear to me. My former answer had been correct all along. I should have known about my feelings; I should have taken the time to understand them until this point. Why had I suppressed them for so long? Was I too blind to see it or was it the fear to acknowledge it?

I looked away from Soul with embarrassment. For the past two days, we have been dancing on the line that determined our relationship. If that moment at the park had continued, then the barrier, my haven, would have been destroyed.

"So, you finally figured it out?" the statement came out as a confirmation rather than a question.

I didn't reply. I felt stupid with this slow registration of a mind I owned.

I felt Soul's hands cup my cheeks to make me look at him. These suppressed feelings; I didn't want to hide it anymore from him.

"Why are you crying?" he asked alarmed. His thumbs wiped the tears forming from my eyes.

"I-I'm n-not crying!"

"Who are you kidding, Maka?" he retorted. He stared long and hard into my eyes as if they were persuading me to open everything to him; to give him everything I am: my fears, my vulnerability, my emptiness. He wanted all of them, all these secrets I bottled up.

"Idiot! You knew!" I accused, while pulling my face away from his hands.

"Well it's not a hard concept to understand," Soul replied.

"So you're not denying it!"

"I didn't say I did, Maka!" Soul growled as he took my hands in his and roughly pulled me into him, embracing me to his chest. I didn't have the strength to pull away, nor did I want to. I remained frozen, my arms dropped beside me in an idling manner.

"Can't I be that place, Maka?" Soul asked in a gentle, soft tone that it was almost inaudible to grasp. "Can't you see me as someone more than just your damn partner?"

The tears I held at bay flooded down my cheeks and onto Soul's shirt. My hands wrapped themselves around his waist and gripped the fabric on his back.

Why did I have to understand these feelings now? Why did I have to say goodbye to him now? Why did I have to be separated from him? It's not fair at all. They were talking me away from him when I finally understood these feelings, finally understood the concept of _love_. I don't want to leave Soul's side. I don't want a new partner! I don't want anyone else but Soul! He is my _beautiful place_. He is the only person I will _risk_ anything for. He saved me from loneliness and emptiness, and without him, I'm that _wanderer_… _I'd be just like Mom_.

"I feel so stupid right now," I murmured. Soul ran his fingers through my hair in a comforting manner. "I Found where I want to be, Soul," I looked up to meet his eyes, "I want to be by your side."

Soul's eyes softened the moment those words left my lips. His eyes shimmered with pure happiness as he cupped my face between his long, strong hands. He took this opportunity to bend towards me, our face inching closer and closer at a slow, painstaking pace. The sound of my drumming heart filled my ears, drowning out the bustling passengers. I felt misdirected and disoriented, like I was walking through large maze in the middle of the night.

_I don't like this… I'm scared…_

"Maka," Soul called out gently. He appeared nervous and unsure and I was surprised that he would react like this too. It was obvious that I wasn't the only one going through the same ominous confliction, and strange enough, it comforted me, just a little. "I wanna try something," he continued, "if you don't like, just stop me. I'll understand."

My throat felt as dry as the desert. I could barely squeak out a word. "I- I see…"

Soul took this to proceed. He closed the distance with our noses touching, lips only a millimeter apart. His eyes remained opened, boring into mine with hypnotizing intensity. I felt my cheeks set a flame due to the closeness and the unusual amount of attention he's ravishing me. Then he connected our lips, with a soft brush. His eyes continued to stare into mine, searching for signs of distress before proceeding. He tried again but this time, he locked our lips in place. His eyes slowly closed, causing me to reflect the same action. I felt the electricity rush through me again, flooding me with overwhelming warmth, pleasure, and the familiar tingling sensation. I felt like I was levitating off the ground with these emotions powering as fuel. I never imagined how Soul's lips felt against mine. I never believed that his sharp mouth would be so gentle, firm and soft. They were strangely addicting, and I just wanted nothing more but to kiss Soul over and over again; it just seemed right to do so. Then I felt light headed and I had regrettably pulled out of the kiss.

He looked at me with confusion and hurt, but when he saw my state, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't tell me you forgot to breathe," he chuckled.

My face continued to burn red with embarrassment. "It's not like I know what I'm doing, Soul. This is my first kiss after all."

A gentle smirk graced his lips, "I know." He pulled me back into a hug, shielding my face from view.

"S-Soul?"

"Just stay like this for a while, Maka," he murmured. Then in a venomous tone he continued, "I don't like how those guys eye you when you're embarrassed."

I looked up to see the direction Soul's daggered eyes were directed and followed them to see two guys flinch back from his glare.

"Aren't you being a little too-?"

"—jealous?" Soul finished. He laughed with dry sarcasm, "It's so uncool. I don't know why I've been acting like this for years. It's been growing intense these past few days."

I wrapped my arms around Soul and gripped his back with my balled fists. I rested my face on his chest with a small smile on my face. "Okay."

**All passengers for flight 463 will be departing in ten minutes**.

I pulled away form Soul, my hands rested on his chest. "Will you wait for me until I return?" I asked.

Soul smiled softly, "There's no one else I'd rather wait for." He cupped my cheeks in his hands. "Even if it takes all eternity."

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Soul with every emotion I held for him, hoping that he would receive the message. He responded to the kiss with delight and wrapped his arms around my waist. There was so much passion, earnest, and love in this kiss in comparison with the first gentle, soft kiss. It was as if this was the last kiss we'll ever share with one another.

A cough brought us to jump apart from one another with surprise. Professor Stein stood then there with one hand in his usual lab coat pocket and the other holding on to his luggage. "If you two are finished, then it'd be best that we head on our way."

With a soft clear of throat, I nodded and took Soul's hand in mine to give it one last squeeze. "I'll be expecting you," I smiled. "Goodbye for now, Soul."

"Good bye, Maka," he replied with a tender, sad tone.

"Don't worry, Soul," Professor Stein spoke as I walked by his side, "I'll keep her safe."

Soul smirked, "Heh, I know you will. Just keep those hounds away from her."

Stein chuckled and walked ahead, "Got it."

I took one last meaningful look at Soul and waved to him before walking into the entrance with a new goal implanted for this mission.

* * *

**Oh my goodness, this took FOREVER to type up TT-TT**  
**This is right around 10 pages long according to word doc. and I must say this is the most spontaneous idea I have ever written down. Ahaha! My notebook doesn't have anything stating any fluffy moments! I wonder where I get these awesome ideas from.**

**Anywho, I hope you guys enjoyed this last chapter of my story! I'm in the middle of the Epilogue and hope to post it on here sometime tomorrow after my choir competition. ^^;**


	5. Epilogue: Love is Insane

**Link for DA:** xxscarletxrosexx.

deviantart.

com/art/Until-Now-Epilogue-Love-is-Insane-360506517

**(c) Until Now belongs to me  
(c) Yuki Hitomi (OC) belongs to me  
****(c) Soul Eater belongs to Atsushi Ōkubo**

* * *

Soul woke up with a groan as he prepared himself to his usual morning routine. Since the day Maka left, he was bombarded with lessons after lessons with Maka's infamous death scythe of a father. Surprisingly, Soul grew to like these lessons with him for he was able to learn some interesting details about being a death scythe. He also learned that he and Sprit were so much alike when it came to battle. He never thought that Spirit would also feel vulnerable without a partner. A bond had formulated between the duo, and Soul actually felt accepted for once; it's almost like anyone close to Maka had the ability to make him feel welcomed and accepted.

Soul came to enjoy these lessons despite his and Spirit's constant disputes—he assumes Maka picked this off him—but did serve as a constant reminder of the one person yearned the most.

Blaire had walked in, dressed in her usual short, black dress attire. She wore a big smile on her face as she announced her breakfast creation.

Soul smiled gratefully that Blaire had taken responsibility to cook and clean once in a while. Even her cooking had improved. Her food was no match against Maka's, but they were still pretty edible.

"Thanks Blaire," Soul replied as he began to chow down his meal.

"Oh and I'm going to be out late again," Blaire stated, "Sorry I haven't been much of a company with you at night."

Soul shrugged, "Don't worry about it." He would never admit to Blaire that he had already grown used to the loneliness every night since Maka's departure. It was during these desolate moments when Soul had thought of his spitfire meister.

Soul finished his meal and began to wash dishes as he thought about today's lesson. Spirit informed him that today would put his skills to the test. He was actually going to fight somebody. Soul was trilled with the idea to be an independent weapon, but he'd always preferred to fight alongside his former partner. Maka always gave him a positive attitude in battles. She had influenced him to be stronger and to be more confident in his abilities. It was she who had made him want to be stronger, so he could always protect her.

"Soul, I'm leaving," Blaire called out.

"Alright! See you later," his voice returned. He heard the door close and found himself in an empty room of peaceful silence aside from the sound of running water.

As soon as Soul finished his chore, he made his way to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and checked himself in the mirror before locking the house.

The moment he activated his Harley, a strange feeling overwhelmed him. He didn't know why, but something about today felt different. His instincts told him that something important was going to happen. It wasn't the usual bad gut feeling that he recognized in countless battles, nor was it a good one with growing anticipation. He felt unsure whether to continue making his way to the academy or not. Alas, Soul shoved the hesitation to the back of his mind as he sped down the narrow streets of Death City.

* * *

He hummed a small tune as he drove his Harley on the long stair way and reached the top in no time. He expected nothing less from the horrified and aghast death scythe waiting for his arrival.

"**HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU TO STOP DOING THAT?! IT'S AN INSULT TO LORD DEATH**!" Spirit barked.

Soul shrugged, though he did feel a little guilty for his action, "I was running late."

Spirit face palmed and shook his head with disapproval before returning to his professional façade.

"Alright, go park your Harley beside the columns. Today's lesson won't take very long."

Soul did as he was instructed. Afterwards he strode beside Spirit, hands in pocket and shoulder slumped in his usual _cool_ demeanor.

"So," Soul began, "who is it this time?"

"Don't know," Spirit muttered, "Lord Death just informed me that we'd have a former DWMA student return to help out."

"So is it someone from your time, eh, old man?"

A vein pulsed on Spirit's forehead, but held the urge to knock the kid down. "Maybe… I definitely hope it's not Tezca," Spirit sighed. "He can be so tiresome, but he's a formidable opponent."

"Tch," Soul scoffed. He remembered that death scythe all too well, especially the monkey. They had been a strange duo on their first encounter, but had it not been for them, Maka and he would be at the mercy of Medusa. They were intimidating graduates, but there was no way Soul would show that reaction to Maka's old man. "I can handle it."

The two death scythes spent the remaining minutes to walk in peaceful silence. The sounds of their clacking shoes echoed the hallway, creating an upbeat thump with their untimed steps. It was not long before they finally reached a train of red torii guillotines that lead to the Death Room.

The closer they approached the dimensional cloud room, the stronger the warning signals from Soul's core reverberated. He was perturbed, but restrained himself from showing any sign on his face.

The first thing he noticed in the room was a young woman's back faced towards them. She wore a black hooded jacket with three short, yellow lines marked on her left head as well as on her left shoulder in a horizontal manner. It was clearly an imitation the three lines of Sanzu that belonged to Kid. The jacket stopped mid back, revealing a large amount of porcelain skin enough to make a man nervous, and had two long black trains hanging to her side in a graceful manner. She wore a black pair of short shorts with a studded belt to hold it in place. Her shoes were a pair of asymmetrical designed black boots. Her right boot stopped at mid thigh with the same yellow Sanzu lines at the peek of the boot. While her left boot stopped just below her knee cap with a small badge of a cross facing inward.

The albino haired boy looked away with a flustered manner, internally fighting to keep his cool façade. It took all of Soul's will power to control the blood from sprouting out of his nasal chambers, or worse, southward.

It was her partner who had noticed his presence first. She had the same matching outfit from the back, but at the front, two white rectangular flaps embraced her neck while a buttoned down hem lining poked out from where the zipper of the jacket should be. Her torso was bare, save for the black bra that covered, yet accentuated her large breasts.

That was it. Blood spurted from Soul's nose, causing him to fly backwards due to the release. "Ah…damn," he muttered, his head lolling upward.

Spirit, on the other hand, had eyes of sparkling diamonds as his eyes scanned her from head to toe. The girl had amazing cyan eyes that sneered mischief. She had unbelievably flawless skin, a sharp nose, high cheeks, and an intimidating, yet seductive smile. Her outfit gave a very mature complexion.

Spirit was ready to make a move on her when a Shinigami chop knocked him dead in his tracks.

"It's good to see you here, Spirit. Soul," Lord Death greeted with a pulsing frustration on his head.

Soul twisted to his side and pinched the bridge of his nose as he got back on his feet.

"So this is who we're up against?" the girl's alto voice drawled with disinterest. She turned to her partner, who still had her back turned towards them.

"Yep," Lord Death answered in her partner's stead. Then he turned to Soul, "Your task is to defeat these two with the skills you have learned up to this point."

"Seems easy," the girl interrupted with a shrug, "I though this would be a challenging one."

"Heh," Soul chuckled dryly, "better watch your tongue before someone cuts it."

The girl eyed him with fiery interest. "Oh? Looks like we've got a wild one," she clucked. "Tell ya what, kid, since this is the last time we'll ever see each other, I'll give you my name. It's Yuki Hitomi and you better remember that name."

"Well see about that," Soul challenged.

"Settle down, settle down," Lord Death quieted, "now, Spirit and I will be your proctors and we will step in if this fight goes too far." Spirit then rose from the ground and made his way beside the Death God in a serious fashion: arms crossed at his chest, feet grounded to the side, and a tight, stern lip. "With that being said, Yuki and her partner, Soul, you may begin."

"Finally," Yuki muttered as her body glowed white, "it's show time."

Yuki materialized into a long black cross, similar to Spirit's weapon form. When the blinding light ceased, he saw the same yellow Sanzu trademark lines on the wings of the cross. Her partner reached for her with a black gloved hand and twirled her in an intimidating fashion before plunging the black pole to the ground. With this action, the meister turned to Soul. She had the exact same outfit from the front, with a less, yet defined size of breast. Her face wad hidden behind the same mask that belonged to Lord Death.

"So, the meister's afraid to show her face, huh?" Soul taunted.

The meister lifted her weapon in a fluid manner before gently tapping the ground. With a soft thud, a long, curvy, grey blade came out from the striped wing.

"So, a scythe meister too," Soul noted "this will be a piece of cake.

Soul extended his right arm to the side and quickly materialized into his signature red and black zigzag blade.

The scythe meister was the first to move in blinding speed. She had wasted no time as she dashed towards him. Soul was barely able to block the attack with his left arm joining his right in a crossed manner. The gray blade connected to the left dip of the X; the curve of the blade was at a close proximity to the nape of his neck.

With a grunt, Soul ducked to doge the death blow at a hair's length. Adrenaline pumped through is body, heightening his sense at an exponential manner. The close call would have had ended him the moment he took a breath. It was his desperation to live that he unconsciously transitioned from defense to attack within seconds. The transition was so fast that a blink of an eye would miss Soul's advancement with his crossed arms aimed to slice at the technician's torso and below.

The meister had been caught off guard by Soul's quick agility that she barely dodged the attacks. With every slice Soul attempted, the closer his blades were to her body. With quick thinking, she sacrificed a second of her time to use her weapon as leverage to escape the death blows. A soft grunt escaped her lips as she landed several feet behind him. Her bleeding left thigh was the price for her survival.

Soul smirked with satisfaction as he overheard the weapon bombarding her partner with worried chastise.

"Damn, you have to be more careful," Yuki exclaimed, "Don't let your guard down."

The scythe meister only nodded to her response before returning back to Soul. She spun the scythe with graceful ease, striking attack after attack against his zigzag blade with a sparking clang. She retracted quickly, spinning the dark shaft around her neck, to collide with his other side. She did this as she her mind formulated plans as well as searched for blind spots. She busied him with a consistent, upbeat pace, attacking his sides with progressing aggressive attacks, causing Soul to double his defense. Then her eyes found his blind spot. The scythe meister twirled the shaft and feigned to slice upwards.

She noticed Soul was ready for the surprise attack to the right, that he left his left side open. While the scythe was still in mid-movement, she purposely missed swinging at him so the top end of the shaft rested on the floor. Then in one fluid movement, she grasped the scythe with both hands as leverage and kicked her feet at Soul's torso with every force that came from her body.

Too late to react, Soul flew on his back several feet away. He was momentarily dazed, but quickly retrieved equilibrium for the sake of the battle. But before he could move, a foot was pressed to his chest while the sharp blade hovered threateningly on his neck.

A shiver crawled down his spine, but Soul, strong willed as he was, eyed the sharp weapon with an unreadable stare. The weapon before him shined before a haughty Yuki took place within the reflection.

"Told ya," she purred.

Soul continued to stare at her with that unreadable look, but within seconds, he closed his eyes and smirked.

"Heh," he chuckled, "As uncool as this sounds, I'll admit I lost."

Soul glanced back at the meister's feral form. Despite being a mysterious and quiet technician, she was a dangerous opponent both in her sex appealing physique and her dangerous skills.

_Damn_, he thought, _I put my guard down for one second and I already lost. If this had been real, I'd be a goner._

A clap reeled the trio's attention back to their head master. He laughed with amusement and entertainment before excusing it with a soft cough. The technician took this cue to back down, while Soul sat up.

"My, my, you kids really have grown stronger in a year's span!" Lord Death praised. He paused to slide his large gloved hand into his small sleeve in a blinding motion and returned with a pop. "Oh, yes, this is for you."

Lord Death presented a small patch with the _Spartoi_ emblem on it. He handed it to the meister's weapon. Yuki immediately transformed to her human state and squealed with delight as she hugged the emblem to her chest.

"Unfortunately, this is where your partnership ends," Lord Death informed the duo.

Soul gawked at him furiously for announcing such horrible news. Why did Lord Death have to separate two great partners when Yuki finally received her badge? Had it always been this way? Wasn't this the exact same way he was separated from Maka? Was it because of the fact that he was a death scythe?

Soul's hands formed into tight fists as he stood up and glared into Lord Death's eyes with great defiance.

"What's with this Lord Death?" he hissed, "Why do you have to separate other partners from one another? Are we just tools for you? For this stupid project? Are meister only supposed to make weapons for your disposal and continue making them for the rest of their lives?"

Soul couldn't stop these words from flooding out of his mouth. He had bottled these feelings for a full year now. He missed his chance to speak these words to stop Maka from leaving, and now he spilled them. He missed Maka and her bitter arguments that filled their apartment with liveliness and usually ended with her Maka chops. He'd admit that he didn't miss the latter very much—he practically regained all the victimized brain cells over the course of her absence. He wanted to hold her in his arms again, to weave his fingers through her untied hair during idling times. But more than anything, he missed having her presence around their home. He just wanted see Maka and kiss her senseless. Their last kiss at the airport had been haunting him in his dreams and invaded his idling thoughts. He loved Maka very much and these words only amplified these feelings.

Soul continued to glare at Lord Death with a rebellious look, waiting for the shinigami to respond to his outburst.

His two opponents faced towards him, the meister stood emotionlessly still while Yuki turned to him with sympathy despite her cocky personality.

Spirit grew restless over the silence and was ready to scold Soul when Lord Death finally answered.

"Hmm…" Lord Death hummed as he brought his left hand to his chin, forefinger and thump pointed into a check mark manner, while his other fingers curled into a fist. "That does sound a bit harsh, doesn't it?"

Soul did no reply.

"Well, it isn't like that at all, Soul. You know that very well." Soul did feel a little guilty, but he kept his face emotionless. "But that was an agreement that they made since the beginning. You had witness it yourself."

"I witnessed it?" he inquired with confusion.

"Yup," Lord Death nodded with enthusiasm, "I'm simply returning the meister to her former partner."

"Returning to her former partner…" Soul repeated. He wracked his mind to remember what Lord Death spoke about. It was minutes later when it finally dawned on him.

Soul turned to the masked meister and watched as she took the mask off. His heart raced exponentially as he recognized the face that haunted his every thought.

"M-Maka?"

She smiled at him while holding on to the mask on her right hand. Then in one quick motion, she threw the shinigami mask at Soul's face with so much force.

Soul stood there with the same shocked expression on his face as his mind slowly progressed what took place. In less than a minute, Soul's face contorted into one with fury.

"**WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!**" Soul screamed.

"You forgot me already, jerk," Maka dismissed, as she shifted her weight on her right leg.

It finally hit Soul that this was the first time he heard Maka's subtle soprano voice in a full year. He smiled inwardly as a small chuckle escaped his lips.

Maka tightened her fists to her side and puffed a cheek with a small pout.

Soul chuckled once more with relief and pure happiness, not because of the cute expression she portrayed, but because she was standing before him in living, breathing, solid glory. God he was so happy that he took Maka in his arms and hugged her close to his chest. He inhaled her fruity scent with delight, grateful that her scent remained the same unlike her physical appearance. Her room was the only place that kept that smell intact. In order to preserve it, everyone was restricted from entering Maka's room, omitting Soul. It was a place where Soul frequently visited in order to feel closer to Maka although she wasn't physically with him.

Maka was pulled back by Soul's action, but slowly returned it by wrapping her arms around him. Maka smiled with delight that her Soul had turned out the way she had hoped he'd be.

"I'm back," she whispered softly.

Soul smirked into her hair, "Welcome back."

They pulled back from one another and stared at each others eyes for a brief moment before Soul shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around his partner. Maka stared at him questioningly, but he turned his flaming cheeks away. She muffled a giggle while Yuki threw a thumb up in her direction.

Spirit was in a frozen state as he watched the couple exchange a loving greeting. His jaw dropped and eyes blanked with shock, fear, and rage coursing through his immobile state.

"**MA-MA-MAKAAA**!" Spirit shrieked.

Maka turned to her father with an annoyed, dead look. "Oh, hi papa," she greeted.

"**W-w-why? M-my little angle?!**" he sputtered as tears ran down his face. "**Why are you wearing such clothes?! Why with that damned brat? Why didn't you tell me you'd come back?!**"

"I can wear what I want," Maka retorted curtly.

A lightning striked Spirit's heart.

"Soul doesn't concern you."

Another strike.

"And I could have told you if you weren't eyeing my weapon like she's my next mother," she dismissed harshly. "Quit checking out younger girls unless you want to be called a pedophile."

The last strike shattered his heart to pieces and Spirit crumbled to the floor, hugging his legs to himself in a feeble manner.

"**I LOVE MAKA AND MAMA THE MOST**," he cried out. "**I LOVE MAKA AND MAMA THE MOST!**"

Maka rolled her eyes, growing annoyed of her father's false cries.

"Ahem," Lord Death cleared his throat so he could gain everyone's attention over Spirit's broken wails.

"Now I'd like-"

"bMAAKAA! MAAAKAAA! MAA/b-"

A vein pulsed on the shinigami's mask as he tried to maintain composure. He gave up and immediately shinigami chopped his cranium to shut him up.

"As I was saying," he recalled, "Now that Maka has completed her mission, Yuki is ready to return to Japan and assist her fellow classmates to control the kishin eggs over there."

"But doesn't she need a meister?" Soul asked as he slipped one arm around Maka protectively.

"Don't worry, Soul, Yuki doesn't need a partner," Lord Death answered.

"Then why did Maka-"

"Extra lessons, idiot," Yuki interrupted.

"She needed to learn how to fight beside a meister and other groups," Maka answered.

"'Cuz you see, I'm a solo kind of person," she grinned as she jerked a thumb towards herself.

"Cocky bastard," Soul muttered.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Cool guy, catch this." Yuki threw a small, thin packaged paper towards Soul like a ninja star. Soul caught the paper with ease and questioned its purpose. "My former partner always got into nasty accidents after fights," Yuki commented, "I always carried the emergency for her sake."

Soul caught the hint of her message and glanced at Maka's injured leg—the injury he inflicted on her. Without a second word, he opened the bandage pad and gently placed it over bloody wound. "I'm sorry," he murmured for only her to hear.

Yuki stifled a snort while her eyes met Maka's blushing face. The exchange did not pass Soul unnoticed.

"Hey Yuki," Soul called out.

"What?" she perked to the sound of her name.

"Thanks for taking care of Maka," he stated with pure gratitude.

"Huh," Yuki snorted as a light blush formed on her face.

"By the way," Soul continued, "How'd you get a bookworm like her to get into clothes like these?"

"She had a wardrobe malfunction in one of our earlier missions." She paused briefly to recall the memory with humor. "Not even kishins liked the way she dressed."

"Hey-"

Maka tugged Soul's sleeve to hold him back, although she was grateful that he would go as far as to defend her skin covering clothing. She appeared uncomfortable with the topic, but her face fought to keep composure. Soul immediately stood his ground.

"Ahem," Lord Death cleared his throat once again, "To wrap this up, we'll be sending Yuki back to Japan tonight."

"Why does it have to be tonight?" Maka asked.

"Remember, we are not the only ones who are growing stronger. Now that Yuki is a death scythe, she is required to be trained immediately upon her return. She'll be assisting us on occasional missions, so this is not your final goodbye."

"Huh," Yuki scoffed, "I hope we don't."

Soul stared at her with mixed confusion. He glanced at Maka, expecting to see a deflated and upset look in her complexion. Instead, a smug smirk was on her lips while her eyes held a competitive glimmer, but at the same time, they were soft and kind.

"We'll see," Maka answered.

Yuki met her eyes with the same kind eyes and a warm smile.

"Well then. This is a good bye fro here on out, Maka," Yuk stated as she offered hand to her.

"I enjoyed your company while it lasted," Maka replied as she removed a black glove to shake her hand.

"Good luck," they stated in unison.

"This meeting is now adjourned, you are dismissed," Lord Death addressed, "Yuki I'll need to speak with you in private."

The trio nodded before turning to one another. With one final wave, the former partners turned their separate directions.

Spirit jumped from his feeble spot to hug Maka with blissful tears running down his face. Maka and Soul took one stop aside in order to doge the attack, resulting with Spirit's face smashing into the wall, He stifled a cry once more and attempted to scream out, but he was immediately cut off by Maka's black boots. When Spirit finally met her eyes, Maka stated, "I'll tell you next time, Papa."

With a small smile, she returned to Soul's side while Spirit stared after them with tears streaming down his face.

* * *

"What happened to Stein after you guys left?"

"He stayed with us for the first couple weeks before leaving ahead," Maka answered.

"That bastard," Soul growled, "making empty promises."

"That's not true, Soul," Maka interrupted.

"Huh?"

"After I got this new uniform, he made sure he scared men away from us. Yuki wasn't happy about it."

"So she wasn't kidding about the wardrobe malfunction thing?"

Maka shook her head, "It was a way to get men's attention."

Soul stared at her with hurt and confusion in his eyes "Are you-?"

Maka shook her head once more, "Yuki wasn't kidding about the wardrobe malfunction business. We were on a mission to go to Shibusa and fight off one of the kishins who disguised themselves as street performers. Turn out it was an ambush. Several more kishins showed up and damaged all our gears. Even the clothes I wore were ruined." Maka sighed before continuing. "Yuki took the liberty to go shopping and bought our new uniforms."

"And you went with it?" Soul asked.

"Not at first. Stein had checked all the damages the kishins caused and none had survived. Ultimately, it came to choosing between being in my birthday suit or this," Maka winced.

"How bad was it?" Soul inquired worriedly. He knew that the damaged outfits meant critical injuries to the meister.

Maka remained silent for a couple moments as her mind recollected the vent. She could still feel the cold sharp blade grazing her throat as she lied on the ground. If not for Yuki, that final movement would be her demise. With Maka critically wounded, Stein had rejoined with Yuki and used her weapon form to destroy the remaining enemies. But she didn't want to tell him of her near death experience, let alone the small scar that tattooed her neck as a reminder of that event. Maka knew she couldn't hide this from him forever, he would find out on his own one day if she decides to keep it a secret. But for the time being, she'll save the story sharing next time.

Soul waited patiently for her to answer, but he knew that Maka would tell him when she was ready.

"Let's just leave it at that," Maka answered finally, "I'll explain next time. "Besides, I wanted to see everyone."

"Let's stop by our home first," Soul suggested.

_Our home_. Maka had missed the sound of that; her true home, the place she wanted to be.

"Alright," Maka nodded, "but what for?"

"You should change out of that…"

"Why? There's no point to change if we're just seeing our friends," Maka complained, "Or is it because I look bad?"

A scarlet blush ran across Soul's face, "Tch. I-It's not that. I mean it'll get cold tonight. It's almost winter anyways."

"Oh. That's right, the weather here is pretty drastic during the winter," Maka recalled.

Soul sighed gratefully that she took the bait. No need to show Maka like this to other guys, let alone Kid and Black*Star.

"Alright, let's go," Soul walked ahead, pulling Maka to his upbeat pace.

"Hey-" Maka whispered.

Soul stopped at his tracks and turned to face his meister.

"What's wrong? Is your leg hurting?" he asked worriedly.

Maka shook her head, "I'm fine. It's just…you weren't thinking of getting another meister while I was gone, were you?"

Soul stared at his meister with a cocked brow followed by a guffaw.

"Soul, I'm-"

Soul stopped mid-laugh so he could press his nose against Maka's.

"Like hell, I would."

Maka stared at him surprised. "But if you won earlier, then you would be the one promoted to a new meister or fight independently…"

"If I recall, you were the one who took me down without a second thought," Soul replied. "That tells me a lot about your motives." Maka blushed as she glanced at the ground. "Even if I did…" Soul looked to his side while Maka glanced up, "It would only be you."

Maka smiled, "That's why I trained harder as a meister."

Soul stared back at Maka dumbfounded.

"You know, you're pretty well known in Japan," Maka smiled indifferently, "When other meisters heard about our separation, they competed to get you, but only the strongest scythe meister could wield you. Everyone else would have to back off."

Soul remained silent, staring at Maka with bewilderment as he recalled Maka's quick, graceful movements. She had grown stronger.

Maka took the dragging silence and Soul's bewilderment as a sign of doubtfulness. Her patience quickly thinned out.

"What?" Maka barked, "It's not like I'm a weak _bookworm_ who reads all day."

Soul had one hand clutch his stomach while the other remained holding her hand. He laughed at her comment for being the first time she called herself a bookworm.

"I'm serious!" she stated.

"I know," he replied after catching his breath, "that's why you're the coolest partner I know."

Maka smiled approvingly as an epiphany appeared in her mind.

"Soul," she whispered in a soft tone.

The change in her tone immediately got Soul's attention.

"What?"

"I think I understand why love is similar to madness."

"Oh the letter your mom wrote you a year ago?" Soul recalled, "Well it is intriguing, like how music sounds to a person."

"No," Maka laughed as she shook her head. Then in a quick motion, her hands took a hold of Soul's face and dragged it to meet hers for a sweet kiss.

Soul was pulled back by the action; nonetheless he closed his eyes and responded to Maka's kiss with pleasure.

After a few moments, Maka pulled back to meet a pair of intense, pleasure seeking eyes. With an airy breath she whispered, "Love drives a person _insane_."

Before Soul could kiss her once more, Maka pulled away form Soul and ran ahead with her laughter echoing the hallway.

Soul growled at Maka's dirty trick at seduction, but he chased after her with the same bubbly laughter emanating from his chest.

As they made their way out of the building, Soul had never noticed how beautiful the afternoon sun had affected Death City from the top of the stairs, until now.

* * *

**Finally I typed this up and this was like 14 pages long in the documents!**  
**I'm oh so happy that I finally completed this series! Thank you guys for supporting this story until the very end!**

**I really did have fun writing this series! :D**


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